Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 940: Conquering Samnium

"The Pentri didn't just surrender to Daionia! They dared to reject the priesthood and elect their own high priest! This is a blasphemy against our sacred traditions!" Rhogni roared furiously.

"I heard that was a demand from the Theonians. They had no choice but to comply. Are you going to enact divine punishment upon Badani?" Contrucus sighed. The deep lines on his face seemed to sink even further as he stared blankly at the roaring fire. "Right now, whether it's Badani or me, I'm afraid our only thought is doing our best to help our tribes survive this difficult time..."

"Savoni will curse them!" Rhogni spat hatefully, slamming his wooden staff against the floor.

Just then, a guard hurried in. "Grand Chieftain, Chief Selamonc has returned."

"Bring him in, quickly!" Contrucus urged.

A burly, middle-aged man trudged into the hall. Seeing his expressionless face, a wave of unease washed over Contrucus. "Selamonc, you've finally returned! Did Badani agree?"

Selamonc swept his gaze across the gathered men, then shook his head. "Badani says the Pentri also exhausted nearly all their grain during the war," he said in a low voice. "They are surviving entirely on Daionian aid now. They couldn't possibly have any extra grain to spare for us..."

"Damn that Badani!" Contrucus's hope turned to disappointment, fueling a rising fury. "When his father killed himself ten years ago, he never would have secured the seat of Pentri grand chieftain without our Caraceni support! Now he betrays the Samnite union, forgets our kindness to him, ignores the ancient tradition of our four great tribes watching over one another, and refuses to lend a hand! Savoni will never spare a coward like him from punishment!"

High Priest Rhogni shot him a sideways glare. "And who was just making excuses for him?" he said coldly. "I told you long ago that these traitors could never be trusted!"

"Grand Chieftain, aren't there still the Frentani?" his trusted subordinate Vanni suggested. "We could borrow grain from them!"

"They are an even bigger pack of cowards. Do not place any hope in them." Contrucus harbored no fondness for the neighboring eastern tribe that claimed to possess 'Samnite blood'. He scoffed in disgust, "When the Theonians pressured them before, they already refused to let us enter their territory. Now that they see us defeated, they can't hide from us fast enough. Why would they ever offer us help?"

"If they won't give it, then we take it from them!" Vanni snarled viciously.

Hearing this, neither the high priest nor the property manager nearby showed any unusual reaction, as relying on herding and plundering was simply the daily way of life for the Caracenians.

But Contrucus only frowned. "Do you think the tribes below haven't already thought of that? I received news just this morning. Yesterday, a few chieftains from the eastern tribes led over a hundred warriors into Frentani territory. But the Frentani mobilized even more men to fight back and drove them out, costing us several of our people. Now the Frentani have stationed an army on the border. They are on guard against us..."

"No matter how guarded they are, how could the Frentani be a match for our brave tribal warriors?" Vanni declared proudly. "As long as we gather the warriors of the entire tribe again, we can crush them completely and make them obediently hand over their grain."

"You make it sound so easy, Vanni, but go ask the tribes in the city which of them is still willing to fight!" Selamonc, another major chieftain who had just sat down by the fire pit, suddenly sneered. He raised his voice. "The war with Daionia has already left too many of our warriors dead or wounded. Right now, every tribe lacks supplies; we are completely unable to compensate the families of our fallen, and the people will hardly answer another call to arms. Besides, without the help of the Pentri and the Caudini, do you honestly believe the current strength of our Caraceni tribe alone can defeat the Frentani?! And even if we could defeat them, it wouldn't matter. Don't forget that the Frentani are now vassals of Daionia. They can request aid from Daionia at any time."

"It isn't just the Frentani. We've heard that the Marsians to the north have also been making moves these past few days. It seems they are preparing to take revenge for their past defeats..." Even though his whole body was close to the fire pit, Contrucus still seemed to feel cold. He curled up, constantly rubbing his hands together. His brow was furrowed in gloom, and his eyes were somewhat vacant. "Although the Theonians have pulled out of Pentri territory, they are still entrenched in Beneventum. They could march north again at any moment... We are surrounded by enemies on all sides, and yet we still have to endure the torment of hunger..."

Beside him, High Priest Rhogni and Vanni were similarly frowning in gloom, their gazes lost and uncertain.

Only Selamonc, standing on the opposite side of the fire pit, showed no sign of worry. His expression flickered with conflicting thoughts. He continuously swept his gaze over the other three until he finally couldn't hold back and shouted, "There is only one way left to save the Caraceni now—surrender to Daionia!"

These words struck like a bolt of lightning from a clear sky, violently jolting the other three. High Priest Rhogni was the first to roar, "Even if every last Caracenian starves to death, we will never surrender to Daionia, the mortal enemy attempting to destroy our sacred Samnite traditions!"

"No! We cannot surrender to Daionia! I heard they declared they will severely punish the instigators of the war!" As Vanni voiced his opposition, he cast a worried glance at his grand chieftain, Contrucus.

Selamonc ground his teeth. Taking a sharp breath, he stood up straight, bolstered his courage, and looked Contrucus right in the eye. "To ensure the survival of the entire tribe, changing a few traditions is nothing. Furthermore, if you hadn't insisted time and time again, Grand Chieftain, many of the clans never would have agreed to send warriors to invade Daionian territory, which doesn't even share a border with us! We Samnites have an old saying: 'He who draws the crows is responsible for chasing them away.' Grand Chieftain, you truly need to take responsibility for an entire tribe that is already facing extinction!"

"Selamonc, how can you speak to the Grand Chieftain like that!" Vanni scolded in a panic.

Contrucus stared dead at Selamonc and slowly stood up. In the blink of an eye, his hunched, trembling body became towering as his imposing presence bore down menacingly on Selamonc. "You never went to the Pentri to seek aid! You went to the Theonians to prepare a surrender, didn't you?!"

Since the words were already out, Selamonc threw caution to the wind. He stood his ground without shrinking back. "Of course I went to see Badani, but the Theonians found me as well... You all need to realize that our enemies aren't just Daionia, the Frentani, and the Marsians! They also include the Volscians to our northwest and the Pentri, who have already severed ties with us. The factions surrounding us have all become Daionia's allies. The moment Daionia gives the order, they will all launch an attack on us!...

"Grand Chieftain, when you convinced us to start this war, you constantly kept 'it's for the good of the Caraceni' on your lips. Now, the Caraceni tribe is facing life or death. If you are truly thinking of the entire Caraceni tribe, shouldn't you do something for us too!"

Hearing this, Contrucus's imposing aura instantly faded. A desolate expression crept over his aged face. Swaying on his feet, he slumped back down in defeat...

The hall suddenly fell into a cold silence.

Suddenly, the guard barged back in, shouting in panic, "Grand Chieftain! Many... many of our tribesmen are outside! They are trying to force their way in, saying they have a proposal for you!"

Vanni instinctively looked at Selamonc. "You did this?!" he demanded.

"You overestimate me," Selamonc replied, a hint of sorrow in his voice. "They just want to survive..."

As soon as he spoke, deafening shouts erupted outside: "Make peace with Daionia immediately!!!"

"We demand to elect a new grand chieftain!!!"

...

Hearing this, the already elderly Contrucus seemed to instantly grow even older. His face stark pale, he stood up trembling, refused Vanni's attempt to support him, and staggered weakly toward the courtyard gates...

...

In Latium, the great Daionian army boarded ships in batches to sail south, escorted by the 3rd Fleet which had returned under Davos's orders.

During this period, the Caraceni surrendered to Daionia. It was said that the former grand chieftain, Contrucus, had taken his own life in his home. However, since the current grand chieftain had been the only one present when he died, rumors circulated that he had been murdered by Selamonc. This stirred up no small amount of turmoil among the Caracenians.

Max Brutus—once a noble of the Roman Aristocracy, now a surrendered soldier assigned to the Daionian army's Second Legion, Second Cohort, First Maniple—had just been dispersed and resettled. Before he even had time to familiarize himself with this completely alien military environment, the troops began boarding ships to head south.

It was the young Max's first time on a seagoing ship in his life. The vessel pitched across the waves without a single moment of rest, and he spent the entire day tormented, vomiting until the world spun.

By the second day, he was slapped awake from his dizzy stupor by a comrade beside him: "Brother, stop sleeping! It's time for us to go ashore!"

Max couldn't understand what the Daionian soldier was saying, but following the direction of the man's finger, he understood his meaning: the ship was sailing toward a town on the coast.

They were finally docking! Max let out a long breath of relief. Stepping out onto the ocean for the first time, he had never craved dry land so intensely. He took a deep breath of the sea breeze, wanting to drive away the foul stench in his mouth.

The soldiers around him were excitedly chatting and laughing, but he couldn't understand a single word they said. He didn't know what the other Romans who found themselves in this same environment were thinking right now.